Testing footwear soles

Abstract

Apparatus for testing footwear soles, comprising a frame, treadmill supports mounted on the frame for movement along an axis, a treadmill assembly mounted on the supports, the assembly including an operative treadmill surface movable in its own plane along a direction transverse to the axis, resilient means connected to the frame and the supports for biasing the treadmill surface in a rest position and for resiliently opposing movement of the surface along the axis away from the rest position to a range of operating positions, a shaft mounted on the frame, the shaft being located with its longitudinal axis parallel to the operative treadmill surface and spaced from the rest position thereof in the direction away from its range of operating positions, a drive for rotating the shaft about its axis, and a sole support mounted on the shaft at a distance from the shaft axis sufficient so that when a sole to be tested is installed on the sole support and the shaft is rotated by the drive the sole support will carry the sole along the operative treadmill surface to move the surface along its plane and, against the resilient force of the resilient means, to the range of operating positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for testing footwear soles, comprising a frame, treadmill supports mounted on said frame for movement along an axis,   a treadmill assembly mounted on said supports, said assembly including an operative treadmill surface movable in its own plane along a direction transverse to said axis,   resilient means connected to said frame and said supports for biasing said treadmill surface in a rest position and for resiliently opposing movement of said surface along said axis away from said rest position to a range of operating positions,   a shaft mounted on said frame, said shaft being located with its longitudinal axis parallel to said operative treadmill surface and spaced from said rest position of said surface in the direction away from its said range of operating positions,   a drive for rotating said shaft above its said axis, and   a sole support mounted on said shaft at a distance from said shaft axis sufficient so that when a sole to be tested is installed on said sole support and said shaft is rotated by said drive, said sole support will carry said sole along said operative treadmill surface to move said surface along its said plane and, against the resilient force of said resilient means, to said range of operating positions,   said frame including a base and a plurality of posts on said base, said posts extending through openings in said treadmill supports, said resilient means comprising coil springs around said posts between said base and said supports.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sole support includes a sole plate with a toe portion hinged to a heel and shank portion, whereby when a sole to be tested is mounted on said sole plate and carried along said operative treadmill surface said sole will flex along the line of intended flexure in use on a foot. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sole support is connected to said shaft through a member adjustable radially with respect to said shaft axis. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said shaft has a hub mounted thereon, and said member is a threaded rod screwed in said hub. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a plurality of said sole supports are provided, each having a said threaded rod screwed in said hub, said rods being angularly spaced about said shaft axis to provide a balanced assembly. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a brake adjustable to vary the force necessary to move said operative treadmill surface along its said plane, whereby said soles can be caused to at least partially slip along said operative surface when said shaft is rotating, to simulate scuffing. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said treadmill assembly comprises a plurality of rollers having shafts carried between said supports, and an endless belt wrapped around said rollers. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus for testing footwear soles, comprising a frame, treadmill supports mounted on said frame for movement along an axis,   a treadmill assembly mounted on said supports, said assembly including an operative treadmill surface movable in its own plane along a direction transverse to said axis,   resilient means connected to said frame and said supports for biasing said treadmill surface in a rest position and for resiliently opposing movement of said surface along said axis away from said rest position to a range of operating positions,   a shaft mounted on said frame, said shaft being located with its longitudinal axis parallel to said operative treadmill surface and spaced from said rest position of said surface in the direction away from its said range of operating positions,   a drive for rotating said shaft about its said axis, and   a sole support mounted on said shaft at a distance from said shaft axis sufficient so that when a sole to be tested is installed on said sole support and said shaft is rotated by said drive, said sole support will carry said sole along said operative treadmill surface to move said surface along its said plane and, against the resilient force of said resilient means, to said range of operating positions,   said treadmill assembly comprising a plurality of rollers having shafts carried between said supports, and an endless belt wrapped around said rollers,   means being provided for adjusting the position of one of said shafts to vary the force necessary to move said operative treadmill surface along its said plane, whereby said soles can be caused to at least partially slip along said operative surface when said shaft is rotating, to simulate scuffing.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a counter mounted adjacent said shaft to count its revolutions. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an indicator for indicating the distance between said rest position and the operative position of said treadmill at any given moment in operation, whereby said indicator provides a reading of the force applied to said sole by said operative surface. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus for testing footwear soles, comprising a frame having a base and a plurality of posts on said base,   treadmill supports mounted on said frame for movement along an axis, said supports having openings through which said posts extend,   coil springs mounted around said posts between said base and said supports to bias said supports in the direction away from said base,   a treadmill assembly comprising a plurality of rollers each having shafts carried between said supports, and an endless belt wrapped around said rollers to define an operative treadmill surface movable in its own plane along a direction transverse to said axis,   said coil springs thereby acting to bias said treadmill surface in a raised position and to resiliently oppose movement of said surface along said axis away from said raised position to a range of operating positions,   a shaft mounted on said frame, said shaft being located with its longitudinal axis parallel to said operative treadmill surface and spaced away from said raised position in the direction away from said range of operating positions,   a drive for rotating said shaft about its said axis,   a hub mounted on said shaft,   a plurality of threaded rods screwed in said hub, said rods being angularly spaced about said shaft axis to provide a balanced assembly and being adjustable radially with respect to said shaft axis,   a plurality of sole plates respectively connected to the free ends of said threaded rods, each said sole plate having a toe portion hinged to a heel and shank portion,   said rods and said sole plates being located such that when soles to be tested are installed on said sole plates and said shaft is rotated by said drive, said sole plates will carry said soles along said operative treadmill surface to move said surface along its said plane and, against the resilient force of said resilient means, to said range of operating positions, the hinged arrangement of said toe portion causing said sole to flex along the line of intended flexure in use on a foot, and   means for adjusting the position of one of said shafts of said treadmill assembly to vary the force necessary to move said operative treadmill surface along its said plane, whereby said soles can be caused to at least partially slip along said operative surface when said shaft is rotated, to simulate scuffing.   
     
     
       12. A testing device comprising an articulated sole plate to which a bottom member to be tested is adapted to be attached, said sole plate being articulated at substantially the ball line, a tread surface with which the bottom member is repeatedly brought into engagement to simulate the wear produced by walking and means for repeatedly bringing the shoe body member into engagement with said tread surface comprising a rigid member fixed at one end to the heel end of the sole plate, a yieldable member connected at one end to the toe end of the sole plate which holds the articulated toe portion distended in the plane of the heel portion, a rotor rotatable about a fixed axis parallel to the tread surface to which the opposite ends of the rigid and yieldable members are connected such that they radiate from the axis of the rotor and means for rotating the rotor in a direction to first bring the heel end of the shoe bottom member into engagement with the tread surface and then the toe end.